I thought Tessa Dare’s early books had a unique voice – they felt like something different from the usual Regency historicals. Unfortunately, her Spindle Cove books are missing something – this one was OK but it felt very Avon-ized. She’ll probably sell more books but I’m not running out to buy the next one.
A Week To Be Wicked by Tessa Dare
(2012, Regency Historical) 8/30/12
Grade: 3.5
Everyone thinks of Minerva Highwood as the bluestocking sister who fits into Spindle Cove society but has no chance on the marriage mart. But she is determined to present her geological work at a scientific conference. She persuades Colin Sandhurst, Viscount Payne, the local rake, to take her to Scotland. The journey shows Colin that Minerva can be a lot more fun than she lets on – and Minerva that Colin has more depth than she expected.
This book had charm but somehow it was lacking something. I usually love a charming rogue hero, but Colin just didn’t seem believable to me, especially in the first half. (Maybe his backstory was more developed in the first book in the series, which I only skimmed, but he still felt like rake-by-the-numbers.) The book got more interesting in the second half, but it just didn’t break out of its fairly stereotypical setup.
I find myself getting bored by typical Regency historicals, especially when I compare them to the books from the 90’s that I’m reading from the 90’s – the unique voices just seem to be missing.
Karen Wheless
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